Darkness in Tenement 45
1953. JOANNA (16) has been living with her overbearing AUNT MARTHA (60s) in a low-income NYC tenement building ever since a violent outburst left her fighting a force that she can only describe as the “darkness.” Little did she know that weeks after moving in, a biological threat from the Soviet Union would leave the building boarded up and the tenants locked inside. With food dwindling and Martha’s controversial role as leader expanding, Joanna rallies the children in an attempt to save the building. Tensions come to a violent head when Martha delves into Joanna’s past and Joanna struggles to keep the darkness from overtaking her entirely.
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Nikki GrotonDirectorThe Melting Family
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Nikki GrotonWriter
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Nikki GrotonProducerThe Melting Family
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Crystal CollinsProducer
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Simone LapidusProducer
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Nicole TompkinsKey Cast"Joanna"Opening Night, "American Horror Story"
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Casey KramerKey Cast"Martha"Mississippi Requiem, Behind the Candelabra, "Baskets"
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Keyon BowmanKey Cast"Walter"
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Project Type:Feature
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Genres:Psychological Thriller, Horror, Thriller, Drama
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Runtime:1 hour 35 minutes 16 seconds
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Completion Date:July 8, 2019
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Production Budget:150,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:2K Arri Alexa
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Aspect Ratio:1.78 (16x9 V
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Sarasota Film FestivalSarasota, FL.
United States
March 29, 2020
World Premiere
Official Selection
Nicole Groton graduated with honors from the prestigious Florida State University’s Film School where her studies focused on writing and directing.
She began her career as Creative Executive at Intuition Productions with producer Keri Selig (Stepford Wives) where she developed and produced several projects, including a TV Special for TLC where she served as Field Producer. She then worked for the president at Bad Hat Harry Productions ("House," X-Men Franchise) and for Emmy-nominated producer Gavin Polone ("Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Zombieland) at the production company Pariah.
One of Groton’s most prestigious accomplishments is her feature documentary The Melting Family, which she produced, directed, and edited. Working on a bare bones budget with minimal crew, Groton spent over five years compiling archive footage and interviews. The film made its world premiere at DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary film festival.
Most recently, Groton finished her narrative feature film Darkness in Tenement 45, a psychological thriller that she wrote, directed, and produced. The film had an ambitious twelve-day shoot and made its world premiere at the 2020 Sarasota Film Festival. It was later an official selection at Horror Imaginings, the Big Apple Film Festival, and Capital City Film Festival. Additionally, she has written and directed two short films, one of which made its premiere at the LA Femme Film Festival.
Groton has also been recognized for her screenwriting. She was a quarterfinalist at HollyShorts, Storypros Screenplay Contest, the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest, and the Cynosure Screenwriting Awards. She was a semifinalist at the Creative World Awards. She won Best Feature Screenplay at the Orlando Film Festival and Second Place for Best Comedy Screenplay at the Los Angeles Screenplay Contest.
Darkness in Tenement 45 is a film that explores what happens when two people, who should not be leaders for vastly different reasons, try to take control.
In a time of “fake news,” “alternative facts,” and party lines that have become more and more divided, the idea of giving power to a single person is becoming harder to bear. How do we decide who should receive power? What if an individual is hiding specific demons? Or what if their demons are displayed proudly, but no one seems to care? It’s these ideas and questions that propelled me to explore the themes in Darkness in Tenement 45.
Our main protagonist, Joanna, is no doubt a troubled girl. Her struggle with an undiagnosed mental disorder has left her with unconscious, violent episodes. Despite these issues, Joanna appears to be a better leader than her aunt Martha who displays her harsh behavior proudly. But as the film progresses, we learn that Joanna’s skeletons may completely hinder her ability to be a suitable leader. But if not self-appointed leaders Joanna nor Martha, then whom? Perhaps the foster child Walter whose race holds him back in a time when African Americans are seen as second rate? Or maybe the young and brave Isolina who struggles to be seen as a leader even within her own patriarchal family? We will never know how well others, who have not been given the opportunity, could have done in power, but we do know that neither Martha nor Joanna should have been given control.
Acknowledging that we all have demons, the film explores power and how it can draw a flawed individual closer to corruption. Both Joanna and Martha start the film in a relatively stable place but, as the struggle for power continues, they both spiral to an unthinkable low.
I hope the film will teach viewers the importance of placing power in the correct hands and what the repercussions could be in an alternate world. I know many feel as frustrated in our current system as I do, and I hope the film will give audience members the opportunity to step away from real life for a moment while still experiencing the themes that are important to our daily lives.